Severe Clear

"Here's the truth about being a marine you won't find on the local news." Filmed in 2003 on his way from Afghanastan to Iraq to begin the march toward Baghdad during "Operation Iraqi Freedom", Lt. Mike Scotti of the Marine Corps shows the reality of what they went through. This is definitely the most accurate and truthful account of what the soldiers went through. From saying why they fight, what they feel, and what life is like. This is a documentary that is an absolute must see and the type that people will either love or hate, depending on their thoughts on the war. I say that based on the reviews that I have read of this movie and that makes me laugh because this is a soldiers home movie...not political at all but peoples opinions are so extreme on this that it becomes something that it's not intended to be. It shows both the good and bad. Iraqis cheering and wanting us out. The reason that I think people are giving this bad reviews is because the soldiers that are fighting are defending what they are doing and saying why they are there. Never once bad mouthing the president, although Rumsfeld gets a dig. Regardless of how you feel about the war this is a movie that needs to be watched. Overall, an absolutely captivating documentary that every American should watch. Like Tom Brokaw said "It's OK to be against the war, but never OK to be against the soldiers." This movie is the perfect example of that. I give it an A+ Would I watch again? - I would, and would show this to people.

***SPOILERS*** Unique and disturbing look at the war in Iraq from the personal video journal of US Marine Let. Mike Scott who, after serving a tour in Afghanistan, volunteered to go there on the eve of Opertaion Iraqi Freedom: The invasion of Iraq in the early spring of 2003.

Scott felt then and even a bit now that he and his fellow marines were doing the right thing in liberating the Iraqi people from the dictatorship of Saddam Hussien as well as the belief in that he had enough WMD, weapons of mass destruction,to wipe out the entire Middle and Near East. What he saw in the fighting there that it was not Saddam and his elite Republican Guard divisions, who were for the most part nowhere to be found, that he was engaged with in the fighting but the Iraqi people, whom he was supposed to liberate, themselves.

From their starting point on the Kuwaiti border the US military launched it's ground invasion of Iraq proper on the morning of March 20, 2003. It's during the fighting in the town of Nasiriyab that Scott saw for the first time just how determined the Iraqis were in keeping their country from being overrun by foreign troops. What Scott also soon realized that they were not fighting for Saddam's regime but against him and his fellow US Marines!

As the US forces got closer to the Iraqi capital of Bagdad the fighting went from engaging Iraqi military infantry and tanks units, who by them were non-existent, to irregulars and guerrilla units who caused by far most of the US casualties. Scott as well as his fellow Marine's enthusiasm for the war began to dissipate as he saw the people he was fighting were the very ones he was supposed to liberate! As for Saddan's WMD the very reason for invading Iraq they turned up to be a no-show! Making Scott have serious doubts about the motives of those who sent him there to fight as well as the effectiveness of the US and foreign intelligence services who swore that they,the WMD, were there!

The movie or documentary ends in early 2004 with Scott now discharged from the US Marine Corps still trying to justify,in his own mind, the reasons why he fought and risked his life in Iraq and telling himself that if he were to be sent back there again he would go without question as well as conscience in his total and complete belief in the wisdom of his leaders who send him there! Even if that wisdom, like eagerly going to war against Iraq the year before, is suspect!

Were told by Scott that one of the main reasons for him not only joining the US Marine Corps but volunteering to fight in Iraq was the result of 9/11 attacks on America. As it turned out not only did Saddam Hassien have nothing at all to do with those attacks, like he was accused of by many in the US Government and media, but that no Iraqi or for that matter Afghan national were among the 19 suicide bombers who executed them! They were mostly Saudi Arabian as well as Egyptian and Yemenite citizens who's countries the USA has very close and friendly relations with!

Iraq from the front-lines. No setup, no objective, no talking heads, no "predetermined narrative", just an actual soldier filming actual war and recording actual news and politics as he goes into and fights the war.

The director and editors do an impressive job keeping the film fast paced and connected without falling into a simple time line of video camera shots and comments from the troops' point of view. So it's a bit more interesting and developed than the average Wikileaks video. Important context is seamlessly added to provide perspective.

All sorts of insights in this documentary, from the motivation of troops becoming soldiers, to their motivations going into the war, to their motivations as they fight it. It also captures much of the brutal and nasty nature of war. While it's sympathetic to the troops, it's hard to describe it as a sympathetic documentary.

Watch, cringe, learn, laugh, understand.

I loved this movie! I am writing on my husbands site but saw this movie and as the mother of an 82 Airborne young man who was over there and was wounded in a battle at AS Samawa on 3-31-2003, I can relate better to just what my son went through. He too brought back a video with the battle and his whole year there from the beginning and I didn't quite understand the bad words used by him and his unit or the way they talked about Iraq in such a negative manner. My neighbors son was also there in the 101st with the Army and he was the same way. I guess the young men and women who went through this war or any war live and talk different while they are in the heat of the moment and regular people back here just do not understand that, given what they see from the media. My son is OK now and I hope that all the people we have over in the middle east and Afghanistan can get home safe and sound asap God love every one of them

This is by far the best Iraq war film of the decade and definitely in the documentary category! However, do not consider this film your typical talking heads documentary. This is definitely a war film that really shows what it's like to be a soldier. You really get to understand what the mentality is as well as understand the brotherhood. I think all veterans, their families as well as current soldiers should see this but as well as the general public and politicians so that they can get a better appreciation of what war is and what soldiers go through as well as veterans coming home! If you like the brutal and tense battle scenes of Black Hawk down as well as the shear experience of blair witch or paranormal activity- meaning being absorbed in the film as well as shocked and scared et all, then go see this film. The score from Cliff Martinez will definitely keep you engaged as it is brilliant and the editing from the director Kristian Fraga is mesmerizing!